


Who Needs Genetics When We Have Family?

by Firekitten



Series: Golden Hummingbird [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, The final chapter of this series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21775756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firekitten/pseuds/Firekitten
Summary: While going through her mom's old clothes, Ruby discovers an old scrap book that reveals she may have one additional parent she never knew about. Now questioning everything from how the trio ended up together down to her very identity, Tai and Qrow find themselves with a lot to answer for.[Takes place Post-Canon]
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Golden Hummingbird [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1494863
Comments: 25
Kudos: 99





	1. The Scrap Book

**Author's Note:**

> This was written pre-Volume 7 dropping, so some slight inaccuracies might exist at this point.

Dust shook from the rafters as Ruby stomped about the attic, ducking under spider webs and zigzagging around the clutter of old things her packrat of a father just couldn’t bear to get rid of. Her only source of light filtered in from the small circular window, mites dancing in the beam. Though it was still early spring, the air in the highest level of the house was stifling, and she had to keep wiping sweat from her brow.

“Anything?” Yang called from where she was perched on the attic steps, only her head and top half of her torso visible.

“I don’t see it!” She replied. She pat the railing of her old baby crib as she passed it. “We really need to tell dad to get rid of some of this old junk.”

“Ruby, of all the battles I will happily jump into, telling dad to do spring cleaning is not one of them.” Her sister said in a tone more suited for a mortician.

“You’re so dramatic.” She replied. She mostly ignored the indignant response that earned her, busying herself with shining her scroll’s flashlight at the tower of boxes in one corner of the room. “Oh, I see it!”

“Yeah?” Yang climbed the rest of the way up.

While she made her way over, Ruby balanced her scroll on the armrest of an old rocking chair, making sure the flashlight was pointed towards the black luggage trunk that made up the base of the box pyramid. “Figures it’d be at the bottom.”

“Yeah but I’ll have it out in no time.” Her sister boasted, already reaching up to bring down the first box.

Ruby winced when she almost conked herself on the head with it. “Please don’t give yourself a concussion.”

“I got it!” Yang carefully brought it down to grip it more securely before setting it to the side. It would be one of many as she brought one after another down from the tower, creating smaller piles on either side of herself until it looked like a collection of cardboard skyscrapers. It wasn’t long before she was placing the last one, running a hand over her face. “Alright, that’s it. Stand back a bit, I got to drag this out.”

Ruby quickly backed up a few steps, rocking on her heels while her sister pulled out the trunk between the miniature city by the handle. With more room to move, she was able to sidle around to the opposite side and grab the other handle. Together, they carried it back to the hatch, Yang going down first while Ruby angled it down towards her, not letting go until she had a secure grip on it and could put it on the floor.

Ruby started to climb down, saying, “You know, it just occurred to me we probably should have checked to make sure we got the right one.”

“Well, then let’s check now.” There was a series of snaps as Yang undid the latches and opened the top. “Yep, that’s a lot of frills alright.”

“It’s tactical camouflage!” She argued even as she nearly tripped over herself to get a look, unable to help the squeal as she saw the many folded up skirts, dresses and blouses packed into the trunk. One that particularly caught her eye was a red and black corset top with bows tied into the sides. She snatched it up, speeding down the hall in a flurry of petals. “I’m gonna try on this one first!”

“Wait! What about the rest!?” Yang yelled after her.

“Can’t talk, gotta dress!” Ruby shouted back, already standing in the middle of their bedroom. She unraveled the fabric of her cape from around her collar, tossing it onto the bed. She was shimmying into the new corset by the time her sister was coming in, trunk in tow.

“You’re the worst.” Yang told her, dropping the load in the middle of their room.

“And you’re the best!” She chirped right back, whirling to face her. “So, what do you think?”

Her sister gave her a once over, humming. “Well it’s cute but I don’t think it’s first date material.”

“Why not?”

“’Cause it’s basically the same thing you always wear. You should go for something with more color.”

Ruby crossed her arms, grumbling, “Red’s a color.”

Yang was already back in the trunk, pulling out more clothes. “You know what I mean. Something different, flashier. Really dazzle him.”

She pulled at the little bows mournfully, but she knew her sister was right – probably. She’d certainly gone on more dates than her at least. Not that it was hard to compete with a number of zero. Still, she didn’t want to mess this up and if that meant being a little more girly for a night, she could handle that. She’d even wear heels!

…Maybe.

“So what are you thinking?” She asked, resigned to her fate of being Yang’s dress up doll. This was starting to feel like their pre-teen years all over again.

“Well, first we need to organize all this. Then we can see what looks good on you. You should put the skirts and dresses on your bed.” Yang suggested while dropping an armful into her hands.

Ruby huffed but did so, straightening them out side by side so they could see them all while Yang did the same on her own bed with the blouses. Most everything was just blacks upon blacks with splashes of color to them - unassuming and quiet. It made her think of her mother’s picture in the photo with her team and how she was off to the side, as if she were trying to hide.

“You think it’s weird that me and mom have the same style?” Ruby asked as she pulled out another one of her mom’s skirts, instantly falling in love with the lace roses sewn into the petticoat. She was keeping this one.

“Not really.” Yang shrugged, glancing back at her. “You never got to know her. It’s probably normal that you’d want to try and emulate her somehow.”

“Dunno if I’d call that normal.” Ruby reached into the trunk again, using her arm as a clothesline to layer the outfits. As she drew closer to the bottom though, something pure white peeking between the folds of fabric caught her eye. Her heart jumped. But as she dropped the pile onto the floor so she could unearth it, she found it wasn’t the cloak she knew her mother always wore, but another dress. She instantly knew it was special, because it was unlike anything else in the trunk and more on par with something she could imagine Weiss owning.

The material was soft but shimmery and definitely expensive. Satin, she was pretty sure. The bodice was simple but elegant with its off-shoulder straps and delicate lacework overlaid on top in branching, flowery designs. The entire dress was so long she imagined it must have trailed the floor when her mother walked in it, yet also had a lot body around the flounce like a traditional ball gown. Like many of the other clothes, there was only a small bit of color combating its primary shade – but on all the white, the yellow and black flowers that circled the waistline like a belt were instantly eye-catching; loud and wanting to be seen.

She knew the yellow was for dad – it was tradition to wear the husband’s colors on the wedding dress. They were even shaped like sunflowers. But she wasn’t sure why her mom had chosen black dahlias instead of roses. The blotches of dark in-between all the sunny brightness felt out of place, like a bad omen.

“Whoa.” Yang breathed as she came over to get a better look. “It’s gorgeous.”

Ruby couldn’t help but agree. It didn’t seem right to just toss it aside while they kept looking. “Maybe we could hang this one up for now?”

Her sister nodded, heading to their closet to fetch a spare hanger. It wasn’t long before they had the dress hanging over the edge of their closet door. In the light coming from the window, it really seemed to make the fabric shine. It felt a shame that its only future was to wrinkle away in the corner of their attic.

But Ruby also knew it was no mistake that it had been at the bottom of the trunk to begin with.

Maybe that was why she found something else hiding away in there just a few minutes after.

The burgundy red, leather-bound book was tucked away at the bottom, face down. Ruby reached for it, finding it surprisingly heavy as she plopped down onto the ground and flipped it over.

Yang joined her moments later. “What’d you find now?”

“I think it’s a photo album.” Ruby said, looking down at the picture in the window embedded into front cover of her mom, her dad and Uncle Qrow. Mom stood between them, an arm around either of them and waving peace signs over their shoulders. Dad stood to the left, laughing while his own arm reached around behind them to muss up Qrow’s hair, who was on the right. It was her uncle’s grinning expression that gave Ruby pause.

She wouldn’t say her uncle was never happy but, she was more accustomed to seeing the gentle, reserved smiles he’d give when he was proud of something she’d done or was just in a comfortable atmosphere. Only when he was drunk did he ever seem that enthused – but something told her he was anything but during the time this picture was taken. She wondered how young he was.

“Hey, it’s dad’s lullaby.”

“Huh?” Completely derailed from her thoughts, she glanced at Yang in confusion only to look at where her metallic finger was pointing. So distracted by the photo, she hadn’t noticed the words scripted around it. ‘ _I know that when I’m with you’_ it said above the picture, and underneath it finished the lyric with ‘ _I’m at home’_. She could practically hear her dad’s soft cadence echoing in her ear, just as it had when she was small.

It was a song about family and love – and the reminder made her realize that someone else was suspiciously missing from the cover. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t still hidden within its pages.

“Come on, open it!” Yang urged.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be looking at this.” She deflected.

She was unfortunately not as sly as she hoped she was as her sister quickly waved her off. “If _she’s_ in there, it’s fine. I can handle it.”

Ruby eyed her, those words not exactly instilling her with confidence when the years’ worth of arguments between her and dad still seemed to echo down their halls. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” Yang met her gaze. “Don’t worry so much, okay? The way I see it, she’s the one who missed out. She never got to see all the things I accomplished or be a part of our awesome family. That’s her loss, not mine.”

Ruby felt the oddest sense of sadness overcome her. Not because her sister had seemed to of made peace with Raven’s abandonment, but that she hadn’t seen it happen. “When did you start thinking like that?”

“Around the time we, uh, ‘met’ Weiss’ family.”

She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought. They had been a bundle of fun alright. While Winter was bearable, if a little cold, Whitley was a lot like Weiss had been, a spoiled brat with a ‘better than thou’ attitude, except dialed to eleven. Her mother, Willow, was a worse drunk than Qrow, to the point the woman almost seemed in a permanent state of catatonic inebriation. And Jacques was…

Well, Ruby didn’t really have any non-swear related words to attach to a man who really should never have been allowed to procreate, let alone raise three kids.

What she did have was a desire to turn back time and drag Weiss back to her own home for a do-over on her childhood. To let her experience what it was like to have a dad who would pin her grades to the fridge and bandage her scraps when they hurt. To have an uncle that was comfortable to act like a kid right along with her and who never got impatient even if she asked him to tell the same story for the fifth time. To have siblings to build pillows forts together with and sneak downstairs late at night so they could share one more cookie from the jar. To have a family that had rowdy dinners full of laughter, vacations focused on nothing but fun, and holidays that made everyone feel just a little more together then before.

Yang continued on, “Seeing how Weiss handled things back then, I couldn’t help but admire her strength. It felt like she spent her entire life surrounded by people who didn’t want her. And yet, instead of letting that get to her, she acted like it was their fault. And it _is_. Because, Weiss is great. She’s practically another sister to me, and I can’t imagine her not being part of my life. Anyone who can reject her so easily isn’t worth her time.” She placed a hand on her chest, “And the whole thing just kind of gave me a reality check, you know? It made me think: if Weiss can do it, then I can too.” Her fingers curled into a fist over her heart. “So, I decided from that day on, I would. Raven may not have wanted me, but that’s fine, because I have plenty of people who do, and those are the people who matter.”

Ruby couldn’t help it – she hugged her.

Though confused, Yang responded in kind. “What’s this all about?”

“I’m just happy for you.” She told her.

For as poor an explanation as it was, her sister smiled like she’d never heard a better reason. “Thanks sis.” When they pulled apart, she tapped the album again. “So, we gonna look at it or what?”

“Oh, right!” She settled back, adjusted the book so that it was laid more properly in her lap, and opened it.

As it turned out, her worries were completely invalid. For the book – which turned out not to be a photo album but a scrap book – was almost definitely not going to showcase Raven.

It was impossible to imagine it would, what with the hand-written script ‘To my boys whom I love with all my heart’ written around the picture of Uncle Qrow kissing their dad on the cheek.

“Well.” Yang said, tone as shell-shocked as Ruby felt. “That’s new.”

* * *

Tai hummed a bouncy tune as he poured the cups of tea, body bopping gently to the rhythm.

“You seem to be in a good mood.” Qrow observed from where he sat at the dining table.

He unscrewed the jar of honey, spooning some out. “Suppose I am. It’s just been so calm lately.”

“ ** _DAD!_** ”

The shout startled him, the spoon falling from his hand and clattering to the floor, splattering honey everywhere. He gave it a mournful look as Zwei eagerly padded over to lap it up.

“You were saying?” Qrow said, a teasing lilt in his tone.

Tai huffed his way, before turning his head towards the doorway where a flutter of petals was just fading around his youngest daughter. “Hey now, what did I say about semblances in the house?”

Ruby didn’t bother to answer and the sound of Yang’s thunderous steps coming down the stairs only seemed to enunciate her dark expression.

“Uh, honey? What’s wrong?” He asked, going from mildly perturbed to intensely worried as he started to cross the room.

Her hand jerked upwards, showing him what she was holding. “Care to explain this?”

He froze mid-step, his throat closing up at the sight of the old scrapbook Summer had gifted him and Qrow on their first anniversary.

Oh.

Oh shit.

Qrow’s own eyes doubled in size as he jumped up from his seat. “Where did you find that?”

“It was in mom’s trunk.” Yang answered as she finally made it to the room.

It was hard to pin down whether Qrow was being accusatory or not in the too-casual way he turned to him and said, “Figured you’d thrown it out.”

“I don’t throw out anything.” Tai replied numbly, finding it slightly easier to focus on him then Ruby’s unnerving glare. “Especially not anything of Sums.”

“But it was mine too, you could have given it to me.”

“I- Look!” He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “People do weird stuff when they’re depressed, okay?!”

“ _Guys!_ ” Ruby cried shrilly. “Missing. The. Point!” She started waving the book at them, making him concerned for its life expectancy. “What does this mean? That you two were dating? With mom?!”

“Er.” Qrow hesitated, then revealed, “We were quite a bit more than that, kiddo.”

“WHAT?”

Tai withheld a sigh.

And it had started out as such a nice day too.

* * *

Ruby stared down at the dining room table, certain her thought process had shut down from the nuclear explosion that had gone off inside her brain cells because she just didn’t know how to comprehend what she was just told. Maybe it had a limit on how much unbelievable stuff it could take. Magic glowy eyes that disintegrated Grimm? Weird, but not too out of the bounds of reality. Magical maidens that controlled the weather? Pretty crazy, but alright. Relics created by the Gods and a magical witch that couldn’t die? Now things are getting a little out of hand but she could deal.

Her dad and Uncle Qrow being married to her mom at the same time? Okay now she _had_ to be in an alternate reality.

Maybe she had just switched places with Yang for the day, because her normally hot-tempered sister sounded rather calm as she spoke up, “I don’t get it. Why don’t I remember any of this?”

“You were really young, Yang. And losing Summer had been traumatic for all of us.” Her dad replied. “It’s probably normal to block some stuff out.”

Qrow snorted, amusement coloring his tone. “You _used_ to be a little bragger though.”

“I was?”

“Yeah, you kept going to all the other kids on the playground and telling them how you had two daddies to read you bedtime stories and a mom who made the world’s best cookies every night. And then you pushed them down when they called you a liar.”

“Ugh. Don’t remind me.” Their dad rubbed his temple as if recalling the old headaches, but his smile was fond. “We got so many angry phone calls from the other parents.”

“I really did that?” Yang asked. “I don’t remember that.”

“’Course you don’t. You hadn’t even started school yet, Firecracker. And boy were we not looking forward to it when you did. We were sure you were gonna end up in the principal’s office the first day.” Qrow laughed.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence!” Yang said, huffing a bit.

Ruby listened and seethed. Why were they laughing? And making jokes? None of this was funny!

Dad must have noticed, because he asked softly, “Sweetheart, you doing okay?”

“No!” She exploded, slamming her hands on the table. “Of course I’m not okay! Why didn’t you guys say anything? Why is everything some big secret in this damn house?!”

Her outburst soured the mood instantly, but she couldn’t find it in herself to feel bad.

Her dad shifted in his seat, crossing his arms along the table. “Believe me, this wasn’t a secret we intended to keep.”

“So then why did you?” She muttered, slumping down in her own chair and glaring at the table corner.

There was a soft sigh and an even softer admittance, “Because we were scared.”

The words caught her by surprise because she’d never seen her dad as anything but brave – yet here he was, telling her she was wrong. She glanced through her bangs at him, “’Bout what?”

“Everything, really.” He said. “Before we lost your mom, it really wasn’t a problem. We just figured you’d grow up knowing you had three parents and it would just be normal. But after she passed and things just fell apart between Qrow and I, everything got swept under the rug.”

“We talked about it.” Her uncle tacked on. “How and when and all that. We figured we’d tell you both at the same time. About Raven. About us. But…” His gaze shifted to Yang. “When you found out about Rae and didn’t handle it so well, we thought: ‘Well shit, we can’t do that to Ruby too!’ And so, we just kept pushing it off.” He gestured as he spoke, his tone having the inflection of a narrator from an animated movie, “At first we said ‘we’ll tell her when she’s ten!’ And then she was and we were all ‘No it’s too soon, maybe when she’s thirteen!’ And then year after year passed and…” He deflated, hand falling to the table. “We just, never knew when the right time was.”

“So, it’s my fault.” Yang spoke up.

“No, of course not!” Her dad quickly assured. “It was an accident you found out that early, nothing more. But Qrow and I could see how badly it affected you and because we had the power to choose to spare Ruby from the same thing… we took it.”

“We didn’t know what we’d do if we had two kids going through an identity crisis.” Her uncle lamented.

That’s when it hit her harder than Nora’s hammer to the gut.

“Wait.” Ruby sat up straight, looking between them. “Then, which one of you is my dad?”

They froze, sharing a look.

“Well…” Qrow spoke first, waving towards Tai. “Legally, he is.”

That didn’t sound like an answer. “What does that mean?”

Tai explained, “He means as far as your birth certificate is concerned, you’re mine. But as for who, uh-”

“Knocked up your mom.” Qrow intoned helpfully.

“ _Qrow!_ ” Tai smacked his arm.

“What?! They’re adults. They can handle it!”

She really couldn’t.

Tai pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “As for who _impregnated_ your mother… we don’t know.”

“You don’t know?!” Ruby echoed, unable to believe this. “How can you not know? Don’t they have tests for these things?”

“Well, yes, but, uh,” Tai floundered a bit.

Qrow spoke up instead (She never really noticed how often they did that), “Vale has a lot of legality restrictions when it comes to kids. Oz pushed a lot of those regimens with the council, because he wanted to make sure kids who lost their families were still taken care of, so we got a lot of advice from him. And the smartest thing to do was make Tai your dad, since he was the one staying at home. That way if anything happened to Summer and I at the same time, he wouldn’t have to fight the protection services to keep the family together.”

“But the kingdoms don’t share medical records.” Tai continued, “So, we figured when you kids were older and we could afford it, we could take a trip to Mistral or Atlas. Have the test done then, if that’s what you wanted.”

“What I wanted?” She frowned. “You guys didn’t want to know? It doesn’t bother you?”

“I did, at one point.” Qrow admitted. “But, then I held you for the first time, and I realized it didn’t matter. I loved you more than anything; learning which of us actually donated his DNA wasn’t going to change that.”

“It was the same feeling for me. I grew up in Vacuo. A lot of communities there live on the philosophy that family has nothing to do with blood and everything to do with heart.” Tai said, his smile kind and warm. The familiarity was odd when she felt like her whole world had flipped upside down. Wasn’t everything different now? Or was she just the one acting weird?

“Well then,” She scrambled, pointing towards Qrow. “Then why do I call you uncle? Shouldn’t I call you dad too or something?” The sudden burst of laughter from everyone made her rethink what she just said. “Oh my gods, be serious! Dad _also_.”

Qrow was the first to get ahold of himself. “We tried, at first. But no matter what we did, you just kept imitating your sister. We kind of realized by accident it probably made things easier on you kids, and on us too. If you called both of us dad, we’d never know who you were asking for. We figured eventually you’d come to understand it like Yang did.” He rubbed the back of his neck, the somberness veiling back over his expression. “But then things changed and here we are.”

“Why did it change?” Yang asked cautiously, as if she didn’t really want to hear the answer. “Did you two fall out of love?”

“No. It was the opposite really.” Tai said, sharing a look with him. The gaze they shared was a silent conversation all their own, and the slightest nod from Qrow spurred him onwards and he turned back to them. “Losing Summer was immeasurably hard. We were both grieving in our own ways, and we loved each other enough to know neither of us were doing anything but hurting each other. Qrow’s drinking was out of hand and I - back then I,” He trailed off, taking a deep breath. “Let’s just say depression is a very scary disease that can twist your thoughts in ways you never thought you could think of yourself. Until I got help, I wasn’t good for anyone.”

Ruby heard her sister shift uncomfortably beside her. She didn’t really have many memories of back then; mostly she remembered her dad being absent a lot of the time, but she’d reasoned it was because he was at work. It was only after Blake had questioned her shortly before the Vytal Dance about her family life and revealed to her the story Yang had shared with her, that she began to question if the happy home life she always perceived she’d had, had more cracks in it then she was aware of.

Uncle Qrow reached out, curling his hand over one of dad’s. As if that was normal. As if they’d done it a million times before. It was weirding her out.

“Point is,” He said, completely unaware of her internal screaming, “We were wrecks. Tai was sick and I spent more time blacking out in alleyways than at home. Neither of us could support each other the way we needed too, so we called an end to it. We decided we wouldn’t try again until things were okay.”

“But you never did try again.” Yang was frowning. Ruby guessed she was probably worrying about herself and Blake.

“Uh. Well. That’s not _entirely_ true.” Their dad said.

Qrow suddenly grinned. “Actually, had you two been a bit older, you probably would have figured it out. Remember that time you girls were bowling down the hallway and the ball went into Tai’s room? And when you went to get it, you found me in his bed and I told you girls I was getting over a hangover? I wasn’t.”

“Wait, _what?_ Why were you still in my room?”

“Because I couldn’t walk!”

“Oh, gross.” Ruby groaned. Her sister made some equally distressed noises while her dad turned a ripe shade of tomato red. Qrow just laughed uproariously at them all.

Yang shuddered. “I could have gone my whole life without knowing that.”

“And I could have gone my whole life without you girls hearing that.” Dad agreed, shoving Qrow’s shoulder. “Stop laughing already. You sound like a donkey.”

“Tai, they’re over eighteen. You can call me a jackass now.”

“I just happen to have some class, unlike you.” Ignoring the childish faces their uncle started making his way, he continued on, “As I was saying, we did try – more than a few times, really. But we kept it hidden from you girls, until we knew things between us would work out. It was important to us that we show you two what a healthy and positive relationship was like so that when you got older, you’d hopefully take our example and find the right person for yourselves. We just, never got that far. It was… complicated.”

“Pff. It was not.” Qrow rolled his eyes. “You got better, I didn’t. Seems pretty straightforward to me.”

“It was so much more than your drinking and you know it. And anyways, you’re way better on that than you were.” Dad refuted.

“Ha! Then don’t let me tell you about Argus.”

His eyes narrowed. “What _about_ Argus?”

“Uh-” He looked towards the clock on the wall. “Whoa, look at the time! Ruby don’t you have a date tonight or something?”

Her sister looked too, then jumped to her feet. “It’s almost 6? Come on Ruby, we haven’t even chosen an outfit!”

“What?” She jerked around. “Are you crazy? How am I supposed to go on a date after all this?”

“Well you can’t cancel the first date!”

“That’s not a rule!” When her sister only rose an eyebrow, she backpedaled, “I-Is it?”

“Ruby.” Her dad’s voice had her turning back to him. “If you really don’t think you’re up to going anymore, you don’t have to. If this guy’s a good one, he’ll understand. Then, we can talk all night if you want. But, those answers aren’t on a time limit either.”

Her uncle nodded. “Yeah. It ain’t like we’re gonna clam up come tomorrow. And we kind of hit you with a lot just now; letting some of that sink in for a few hours isn’t the worst thing you can do.”

Ruby chewed her lip, not wanting to admit how undeniably tempting the offer was. “I just don’t get why all this had to be kept a secret. Didn’t I have the right to know?”

“Of course you did.” Her dad answered. “And I’m sorry we kept it from you as long as we did. We were just so focused on trying to make things feel stable and safe for you girls, that the idea of deliberately throwing another wrench in the mix never seemed like a good idea.”

“Yeah okay,” She said in a tone that implied it was definitely not okay.

The two men shared a worried glance, before Qrow sighed, placing his elbows on the table as he lent forward, “Look kiddo, this was never easy on us either. Kids aren’t born with manuals. And yeah, we definitely screwed up at times. Just ‘cause we’re trying to raise you doesn’t mean we’re suddenly perfect adults. Least of all me.” He rolled his eyes as he said this, as if even he was exasperated with himself. “But you got to trust me when I say any decision we made for you,” He glanced at Yang, “Or you, was always done with the reason that we love you both.”

“I know that! I just-!” She couldn’t stay still anymore. She jumped to her feet, pacing around the length of the kitchen. “I don’t know, I feel like I’m the crazy one here! Why is everyone so calm about this?”

“Ruby-”

Ignoring her dad’s attempt to placate her, she whirled on her sister. “I figured at the very least, you’d be with me on this! Why aren’t you upset?”

“I mean, I guess I am a little?”

“A little?! Don’t you get it? We might not even be sisters!”

Yang stared, her eyebrows rising with understanding. She crossed over to her, saying, “Is that what’s bothering you?”

“Well, yeah!” Ruby said, feeling absolutely silly that she wanted to cry.

She stopped in front of her, placing her hands on her shoulders. “Ruby, say you do go and do this test. And say Uncle Qrow is your dad… why does that have to change anything?”

“I-I don’t,” She sniffled, rubbing away at some tears. “Shouldn’t it?”

“Why? I don’t care what that test says, you’re my little sister. Always. So why do you need to think differently?” Yang urged. “Things only have to change if you _want_ them too. Do you want them to?”

“No!”

“So then what’s the problem?”

She blinked rapidly, giving a watery laugh. “Well when you say it like that, it makes me feel kind of stupid.”

“I prefer slow on the uptake.” Yang joked, tugging her into a too tight hug.

Around her bending ribs, she squawked, “You’re the worst.”

“And you’re the best!” Was the proud chirp before she pulled back, heading for the living room. “Come on, you got a big night ahead of you.”

She nodded, wiping away the rest of her tears. She glanced over at her dad and uncle, who had stood from their own chairs at some point during her mini breakdown, but hadn’t gotten further then around the table. They looked about as uncertain as she felt; but they were still her uncle and dad – even if biologically that may be the other way around. Things hadn’t really changed for them either, had they?

Her dad was still the man who sat with her after school and helped her with her homework or taught her how to focus her aura so she could unlock it for the first time. Someone who had been in the crowd of all her school events, taking pictures as she won awards or got her diploma, and had seen her off at the airstrip the day she left for Beacon. The one she depended on to take care of her when she was ill or walk with her to the cliff on those sad, sad days she missed mom the most. Was still and always her guide, the person who taught her right from wrong and who always encouraged her to be the greatest she that she could be.

Her uncle was still the guy who spent hours with her showing her how to shoot at targets 500 meters away and snuck into her welding class to help her forge Crescent Rose. The one she could count on to take her out for ice cream if she had a bad day or play video games with her all night if she was bored. Knew that even if he had to be away a long time, that he’d write or call when he could, and come back with a gift or two for her and Yang from some cool town or big city he’d gotten to visit. Was still and always her hero, the person she’d tell everyone she wanted to be just like when she grew up.

Neither of them were perfect; that was something she was seeing more and more of as she grew older. But they were _here_ , raising her, watching over her, loving her. That was never going to change. That’s what mattered most.

She hurried over to them, throwing her arms around them both. “We’ll talk tomorrow?”

Her dad’s arm was strong and steady as it encircled her. “Of course. Anytime you want.”

“Go have fun.” Qrow told her, ruffling her hair. “Knock ‘em dead. And if he gets too handsy, take that advice literally.”

“ _Qrow!_ ”

She giggled stepping back so she could prepare for a quick escape. “Thank you. I love you.”

“We love you too sweetie.” Tai told her fondly – only to immediately shout after her retreating petals, “And no semblances in the house!”

* * *

With the sun’s descent, quiet also seemed to descend their home. Ruby was out of the house for the evening and with it being morning in Menagerie, Yang was holed up in her room on Skyria, video-chatting with Blake. It left the first floor to themselves; but the calmness and normalcy was not something Qrow found to be undesirable these days.

The spoon clanked against the tea cup as the last teaspoon of honey was added, before he dropped the utensil in the sink. He grabbed the two cups, heading over to the couch in the living room, handing one to its only occupant.

“Thanks.” Tai gladly took a sip. As Qrow sat beside him, he said, “Ruby handled that way better than I thought she would. Maybe you were right and we should have told her sooner.”

He lent back into the cushions, propping his feet onto the coffee table. “Or fighting magical maidens and immortal witches builds up an intolerance to these kinds of things, and waiting was the right call. We’ll never get the ‘what if’ answer.”

“Guess not.” Tai set his cup aside, before going back to flipping through the scrap book propped in his lap.

Truthfully, after traveling with her from one end of Remnant to the other, Qrow hadn’t expected anything less from Ruby. He wasn’t sure where she got her fortitude from, but her ability to push through even the most adverse of conditions was her most admirable quality. Perhaps it was just that, or maybe the other shoe was just waiting to drop, but he had a feeling things would be back to the status quo before they knew it.

No, it was Yang he was more impressed by. He was certain it would be her yelling at the top of her lungs – especially when it was just another secret being kept from her – but instead, she’d handled it with a rationality he’d never really seen before. He knew, in part, it was because she was striving hard to reign in her quick temper. Not for herself, but for her girlfriend, whose sketchy past romantic relationships made it hard for her to deal with the shouting matches Yang was prone too. All on her own, Yang decided she didn’t want to be a reminder of that past. That’s how he caught her, in a library of one of the towns they had stayed in during their travels, reading up on anger management. When he confronted her, she told him that it was only fair that if Blake was working on her tendency to back down, then she would work on improving herself for her too.

Firecracker was turning into more of a Fire Dud these days, but it was a welcome improvement and today just proved how far she’d come. He was insanely proud of her.

He was also immensely jealous.

Because if she could fix something about herself with only one reason, why did he keep giving up when he had three?

Tai’s sudden laughter shook away his thoughts. “Oh, you remember this day?”

Qrow’s eyes darted towards the entry he was indicating, an amused chuckle bubbling almost instantly. “Yeah.”

The page was decorated with various stickers of smiling fruits and flowers set in patterns that matched well with the photos glued to the pages of them on a picnic. It had been Tai’s birthday and as he tended to want simple things and with it being right at the tail-end of summertime, he had requested a day out with the family. So, they made up a little basket of food, got Yang in her little flower dress, and headed out. Despite being plumper than the watermelon they’d brought along, Summer probably took about three dozen pictures that day – but the four she’d chosen seemed to perfectly highlight the timeline of disaster they were in for.

The first was a posed picture with them all standing together, the backdrop a field of wildflowers they’d chosen to have their picnic in.

The one underneath was a more candid shot of Tai and him stretched out on the blanket, empty plates strewn around them. Qrow had Yang in his hands and was lifting her upwards, making the infant feel like she was an airplane.

The third was one he took. Summer, Tai and Yang were in the flowers, the little girl trying to toddle her way after some butterflies. It would have been nothing more than another charming family photo, if not for the hint of grey clouds inching their way over the tree line behind them.

The last was of him and Tai standing at the top steps of the porch, looking like a pair of wet sheepdogs with the way their hair hung over their eyes. Sheets of rain was coming down behind them, and just to the left was a blur of yellow bounding forward – Yang, seconds away from ruining her dress and splattering mud all across their backs.

Taiyang must have been looking at that one too because he said, “Gods, Yang was such a mess. Summer had to wash her in the sink! I don’t think we ever managed to save her dress, did we?”

“No. I don’t think we did.” Qrow replied distractedly, his mind lost in the past.

It should have been an awful day; but instead, there was nothing but laughter over how ridiculous they all looked or the rush to clean themselves up and put Yang down for her nap. There were kisses shared under a warm shower. The coziness of the three of them wrapped up together in an afghan, sipping hot tea and watching the storm from the bench on the patio.

He could almost smell the rain again. Or feel the weight of Summer leaning against his side as she dozed, tired from the day. Or how his breath caught a little bit when he looked over at Tai, and found himself so caught by how gorgeous he looked at that moment, that all he could do was stare.

Just as he was now.

He traced his eyes over Tai’s gentle visage, from the faint freckles that valiantly held onto some of his youth to the slope of his blue eyes that made him appear so kind and the brightness of his smile as he turned to another page. There were signs of his age of course, in the wrinkles around his eyes, the dimming color of his hair, but his beauty had aged with him. Or maybe Qrow was still just that captivated by him that he’d find him so no matter what he looked like.

Warmth bloomed in his chest, burning like an overheated flame, the love that had once been so prominent in his life warring with the sorrow of everything he’d lost since then. It was hard to bear, and he found that he was tired of feeling it. And perhaps it was that that finally led him to ask, “Do you ever miss us?”

Tai paused, gazing at him searchingly for a few long moments. It felt an eternity before he finally murmured back, “All the time.”

“Me too.” Hope tentatively pulled the next question from him, “Could we try again?”

A hand reached out, larger fingers slipping between his own, brushing against the three wedding rings he wore. Tai lent in close, until their foreheads brushed together and all they could see was each other. “I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was supposed to be it - however a stroke of inspiration had me rapidly pumping out a second one. Since it's so directly tied to this one, I decided to keep those chapters together. It ironically turned into my favorite of the entire series (and may have more Summer to go around~)
> 
> I'll get that one posted in the next few days!


	2. The Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a Tai/Qrow/Summer story, sure hasn't had a lot of Summer in these past two chapters, has it?
> 
> Hark, I think I hear her in the distant now!

Five minutes in and the tick-tick-tick from the clock on the wall was already driving Ruby crazy. Medical offices had a thing for loud clocks, didn’t they?

She sighed, crossing her legs. Uncrossed them. Started drumming her fingers on the table. Stopped. Bounced her right foot.

Looked at the clock.

A minute and a half later.

“Ugggh.” Ruby groaned, flopping over the circular table’s surface.

“Wow they sure have interesting placemats here.”

She turned her head to the side, overexaggerating her frown so dad would know his dumb jokes weren’t appreciated.

He only smiled back, setting a Styrofoam cup by her head. “Brought you some tea. It’ll calm your nerves.”

Ruby resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was pretty sure he thought tea was the cure to everything. Still, she sat up, feeling the steam waft up onto her face when she brought it close, taking a sip. “Not feeling any calmer.” She announced petulantly, then immediately felt guilty about it. “Sorry, I’m just… I don’t know.”

Her dad reached out, brushing back some of her hair and tucking it behind her ear. “Sweetheart, if you’re not ready, we can leave.”

“No. No, that wouldn’t be right after I dragged you both through all this.” She said, shaking her head.

“And there’s no problem if we have to do it all over again.” He reassured. Normally, such a thing would calm her, but it only made her more mixed up inside.

Another chair scraped along the tile, and her uncle gave a loud sigh as he fell into it, draping an arm over the back and nursing a cup of coffee in one hand. “If it makes you feel any better kiddo, I’m pretty nervous too.”

“Yeah, must be hard, maybe having to admit you’re an irresponsible adult.” Yang mocked as she took the final seat across from her.

“Just for that backtalk, you’re grounded firecracker.” He replied without any real sincerity.

“Hah, as if! You’re not _my_ dad at least!” She said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Ruby slid down in her seat a little, gripping her cup harder.

Dad seemed to take note and intervened, “Alright you two, that’s enough.” He looked between them all. “Perhaps we can think of something more constructive to do while we wait?”

Yang pressed her chin into her metal hand contemplatively. “How about you guys tell us some stories? There’s a lot of stuff I still want to know.”

She perked up at the suggestion, leaping back up. “Yeah, me too!”

“‘Suppose we could do that.” Qrow shrugged, setting his drink on the table. “Ask away.”

Her sister went first. “How’d you guys get together?”

“Boo, that’s the boring one.” Ruby heckled.

“How?!”

Tai scratched his chin. “Eh, actually it kind of is.”

“From your perspective, it is.” Qrow refuted. “For Sums, it had been like the Second Great War was happening. But!” He held up a hand, “I’m getting ahead of myself. Things actually started a bit further back. One day,”

* * *

…They were _actually_ playing Truth or Dare. It was apparently a game kids played during sleepovers – but Qrow, whose childhood had been rather absent of such things, had never experienced it. Summer and her enormously large heart could never stand hearing such atrocities, so she tended to get a little gung-ho about having him ‘relive’ his childhood.

“Okay, truth or dare?” He said, scratching vigorously at his skull. Little pink flakes rained down from the paint he’d been dared to put in his hair.

“Truth.” Summer was sprawled along the couch, her feet propped up in his lap. They’d been playing for awhile now and both of them were struggling to stay awake.

“Uh, I dunno?” He yawned, laying his head on the arm of the couch. “Who’d you like back at Beacon?”

She smacked her heel against his thigh. “You, dummy.”

“ _Besides_ me! Come on, there had to be someone.”

“I guess – okay, you promise you won’t laugh, right?”

He cracked an eye open. “If you say Bart, I make no promises.”

“No!” She looked away. “It, it was Tai.”

 _That_ woke him up. “Wait, seriously? When? Don’t tell me when Raven-”

“No, way before then. In First Year.” Summer rubbed the side of her neck, chuckling. “I was _really_ crushing on him. I used to try and sit behind him in class so I could stare at him without him knowing. And um, I would invade the gym when he was finished training because I knew he’d be getting out of the showers soon.”

He sat up straight, grinning. “Oh wow, _stalker_ Summer? I’ve just learned a whole new side of you.”

“S-Shut up!” She hid her face in the cushions, her words becoming muffled. “I know it was dumb.”

“You never asked him out though.”

When she found it in her to come out of her hiding, she was frowning. “I couldn’t. Remember when we failed first semester and Professor Peach pulled us in one by one to her office and talked with us? She’d noticed how I favored Tai over you two. A lot. I remember she’d told me I needed to decide if I was there to be a Huntress or to be a housewife. I was so ashamed, but she was right. I was supposed to lead you guys and here I was, playing favorites.”

Qrow tried to think back on that year, but he’d never noticed. Probably because he’d spent a fair amount of time isolating himself from the other half of his team as much as possible, hoping maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t figure out his semblance if he did. It was that that Peach had reprimanded him about. She didn’t understand why he was keeping his distance though, so he didn’t take any of her grand speeches about ‘teamwork’ to heart.

But now that he thought about it, it was right after their failure that Summer practically stuck to him like a damn burr. He remembered Raven complaining about the same. “Huh. That’s why you kept looking for me during lunchtime.”

“Yeah.” She laughed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t before.”

He shrugged it off. “Eh, it’s not like I had wanted you around.”

“Ouch.” Summer placed a hand over her heart like he’d struck an arrow through it. “Qrow how could you hurt me this way?”

“Oh shut up.” He tickled her foot, laughing when she squealed and started trying to kick him away. She eventually turtled herself to keep him away, so he let her be, instead slouching more on the couch and propping his legs up on the coffee table. “Well, I guess if you were going to ignore me for anyone, I can understand why. Tai’s quite a looker.”

She snorted. “ _What?_ ”

“Those arm muscles? Those pretty blue eyes? That infuriatingly cute smile? He’s totally my type.”

“And the truth comes out! Qrow had a guy crush!” Summer teased, poking his side with her big toe.

“Hah, oh come off it. You know I didn’t get serious about anyone back then.” He hesitated, then smiled her way. “Not until you that is.”

Her expression softened, before she eventually sat up and wound her arms around his neck. “And I’m glad you did.” She kissed his cheek. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

* * *

“At the time, it was just a conversation, but I always look back on it now and realized maybe I laid a foundation for some of Summer’s old feelings to come back.” Qrow explained.

“What do you mean?” Ruby asked.

It was dad who sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead. “If I remember right, I called three days after this, didn’t I?”

“Mm.” He nodded. “Give or take.”

* * *

“She’s saying she’s going to leave after the baby’s born! And if I keep bringing it up, she says she’ll leave now and make sure I’ll never see them!”

Summer gripped her scroll tight as she scowled, but her voice came out calm and firm. “That’s not going to happen. We won’t let her do that.”

Qrow swallowed hard, hearing how Tai’s breath hitched over a sob. “I don’t know what to do guys. I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?”

“Hey,” He spoke up, as soft as he could manage, “For now just, play it her way. We’ll be there soon, right?”

He looked at his girlfriend, who had the same look of determination she got whenever they began a new mission. “Yeah, we’re on our way.”

* * *

“I think we were hoping we’d swoop in and save the day.” Their uncle explained, his laugh bitter.

Dad’s smile was sad. “If I’m being honest. I was hoping that too.”

“But man, did Summer _scream_. I swear if Raven wasn’t pregnant, flowerbud would have kicked the shit out of her.”

“Do you think mom would have done it?” Yang spoke up, voice small. “Taken me, I mean?”

Ruby shifted uncomfortably, suddenly wondering if there were laws against a mother kidnapping their own kid.

Dad turned to Yang, placing a hand on her arm. “I don’t think so. When Raven wanted to get her way, she could be pretty awful about making sure it happened.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this before I went to go see her?” Her sister asked.

“I wanted you to form your opinions about her. How could you, if all I did was give you this impression that she was a horrible person?”

“But she _is_ a horrible person!” Ruby burst out before she could stop herself. Her whole family turned to look at her, varying degrees of shock on their faces. Her cheeks flushed and she slunk down a little. “Uh, s-sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You’re not wrong.” Her uncle cut in acidly, “Raven made her terrible choices, now she has to lie with them.”

Dad looked his way. “That’s, kind of surprising, coming from you Qrow.”

“Yeah well,” He scoffed. “Guess I finally saw the light.”

Ruby couldn’t decipher the look on dad’s face. Sympathetic maybe? Hoping to put this conversation back on track, she spoke up, “So uh, what happened next?”

Luckily, Dad was on board with it. “Well, after Raven left, I needed help. We had all these plans about taking alternate missions so that one of us was always home, but with her gone, all that just fell apart; and I didn’t have another job to fall back on. Summer and Qrow offered to move in while I looked for something sustainable. It was _supposed_ to be temporary. But what was supposed to be a few weeks turned into a few months. Then it was four months. Then six.”

Qrow chuckled, finding some of his humor again. “That was about when the Second War happened.”

* * *

“Didn’t you hear me?!” Summer was pacing the floor of their bedroom, hands knotted up in her hair.

“Yeah, I heard you.” Qrow watched her from the bed, leaning back against the headboard. “I just don’t see what the problem is?”

She whirled on him. “How can you not! I just told you I like another guy!”

“So?”

“…So? So!?!? Aren’t you mad? Jealous?! Something?!”

He held her gaze, asking her seriously, “Are you going to leave me?”

“What? No!!” She cried back.

“Then it’s fine.” He relaxed back again.

“No, it’s not! I shouldn’t like anyone else! It should only be you!” He started to worry when her distress began to hint on tears.

“Hey, hey come here.” He called softly, and she came. He let her curl up against his side, wrapping an arm around her and soothing a hand through her hair. “Look, I get it. Being from Atlas, you’re surrounded by all these… close-minded pricks who will tell you there’s only one way to be and one way to think. But you and I have been around the world. How many people have you met that have told you differently?”

She sniffled, “A lot, I guess. But I still don’t get why you’re so okay with this.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

She placed a hand on his chest. “Sweetheart, don’t take this the wrong way but, you can be pretty insecure sometimes.”

He blinked. Huh. Why… didn’t it bother him? As he thought about it though, there was only one conclusion he could make. “I, I guess, being with you is just one of the things I feel really certain about.”

Her eyes widened marginally, and then she reached up, cupping his face in her hand. “Qrow, I love you.”

He smiled, turning his head to kiss her palm. “Love you too.”

* * *

“Aaah!” Yang swooned.

“Qrow can be extremely romantic when he’s not trying.” Dad chuckled, chin in his hand. It made Ruby notice the ring he was wearing – one of her uncle’s; the black and white one he always had on his index finger. She looked from him to her uncle, who was trying to feign off his embarrassment with an overexaggerated cough.

“Anyways,” Uncle Qrow diverted, “It was pretty obvious Summer’s feelings weren’t going anywhere soon, and we weren’t just going to leave Taiyang high and dry when he needed us the most. So, we figured, maybe trying to date each other was the best solution?”

“ _That_ was the best solution?” Yang echoed, disbelieving.

He shrugged. “Eh, better then running off without any real explanation, or trying to ignore it and just letting all the tension become unbearable. The worst Tai could do is say no.”

“And I did say no. At least, at first.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, but **_what?_** ” Tai looked at them from the dough he’d been kneading for bread, flour smudges dotting his face. “You guys are messing with me.”

Summer was rocking nervously on her feet, her hands clasped behind her. “Tai, we wouldn’t joke about this. We’re not that mean.”

“I, still!” He shook his head, feeling like his brain just couldn’t compute what it was being told. “You two are just okay with this?”

“I mean, we’re the ones asking. So, yeah.” Qrow spoke up from where he sat on the countertop.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to though.” Summer added hurriedly. “I know you’re under a lot of stress right now and, maybe dating isn’t really a big priority on your mind. Especially if you’re looking for someone more like Raven-”

“Trust me,” He scoffed, rolling the dough with a bit more ferocity. “Dating someone like Raven is the last thing I’ll ever do.” He sighed then, shaking his head. “It’s just, look I don’t want to come between you two-”

“Coming between us actually sounds pretty nice.” Qrow leered.

“ _Qrow!_ ” Summer smacked his arm.

Tai flushed a little, sparing his old partner an admonishing look. “You’re terrible.” That only earned him a wink. “Anyways, you know what I mean. Besides, how would it even work?”

“We’d do it at your pace.” Summer said, crossing over to his end of the kitchen. “Just because Qrow and I are well-established doesn’t mean we can’t take things slow for you. If that’s what you want.”

“Yeah. And if it’s too weird, then it’s too weird.” The other man added. “We call it quits and laugh about it in a few years from now.”

They were really serious about this, weren’t they?

He bit the inside of his cheek, looking down as doubts and fears spiraled through his mind. “Can I think about this for a little while?”

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Of course. Take as much time as you need.”

* * *

“I remember considering every possible tragedy for days.” Dad laughed softly, his gaze distant, seeing way past the little breakroom they were in. “Brought up each and every one of them – and one day Summer pointed out that I was only ever talking about everything that could go wrong. I never once seemed to consider that anything could go well. When I realized I was only holding myself back, it was easier to say yes.”

“Even though it wasn’t that long after m- _Raven_ left?” Yang asked.

“Remember what I would tell you girls all the time during training? That the most dangerous thing you can do is wait too long to act?”

Oh, Ruby remembered alright; it was practically a mantra in her brain. Sometimes, she wondered if it was because of that single statement that her semblance became speed based.

“Well, that’s a Vacuon saying.” Their dad continued. “But, back home, it didn’t just apply to combat. The whole continent is just one big death trap waiting to happen – there’s no time for second guesses or hesitation for a lot of stuff. Especially love. So that’s what friends would say to each other when they were pining over someone; because come tomorrow, you or they could be gone.” He sighed. “The only thing I wasn’t ready for was losing someone again.”

“But who’s ever ready for that?” Qrow said, downing the remainder of his coffee.

Ruby looked his way. “How long were you and mom together before all this?”

He gave a thoughtful grunt. “We got together towards the end of third year. Didn’t really become serious until the end of fourth though. We’d been together about three years by the time this dork joined us.” He indicated the man across from him. “The three of us got serious a lot faster.”

She calculated the rest in her head. Four total for dad and mom, seven for mom and Qrow. Just a few years ago, that would have sounded like a lifetime to her – but her experiences both at Beacon and beyond taught her just how quickly time went by. She wished it had been longer or that even a fifth chair at this very table could have been filled.

“Though, I never expected it to get that far.”

She found herself pulled from her thoughts, glancing towards her uncle. “What do you mean?”

He both half-shrugged and half-smiled, making him look a bit askew. “When Tai first accepted, I had no expectations. I figured we’d all go on a few dates, just kind of enjoy things for a while, and then we’d probably move on.”

“I thought that way at first too.” Dad agreed. “But one morning, I woke up with both of you on either side of me, and realized I didn’t want you two to ever leave. That’s when I decided I wanted more than a fling.”

It was Qrow’s turn to look a little distant. “Heh, I remember the exact moment I fell in love with each of you.”

Dad rose an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“After the picnic - the one for your birthday? When we were watching the rain. I kind of just looked at you and,” He waved his hand fruitlessly in the air, trying to grasp at words he couldn’t say. “Well, it just clicked.”

“What about with-”

He held up a hand to stop Yang, grinning sheepishly now. “ _That_ one is not PG-rated, firecracker. Let’s just say, Sums looks really gorgeous in the moonlight.”

That brought about an onslaught of half-formed ideas Ruby quickly discarded before she grossed herself out. Desperate to change the topic, she hastily inquired, “Who proposed?”

The two men shared a look, saying in unison, “Summer did.”

* * *

Summer was not a romantic. That was as true as the grass was green.

So, when Tai and Qrow arrived home to see a double-locked box placed on the table, an envelope addressed to each of them set in front of it, they were surprised to say the least.

“It’s a… riddle?” Tai asked once he’d finished reading his letter over.

Summer gave an affirmative hum. She was sitting on the couch, rocking Yang to sleep. “One for each of you. The answers lead to the keys that open the box.”

“Uh, Summer, not that I don’t appreciate the effort and all, but you know I’m not a strong reader, right?” Qrow appeared a bit conflicted.

“I never said you couldn’t help each other.” She smiled at them.

They looked at each other, quickly trading their letters. Tai read over Qrow’s carefully.

_I see the moon set and the sun rise,_

_I’m close to the heart but I’m the head._

_Where am I?_

Qrow scratched the back of his head. “I don’t think I get this one either.”

Their girlfriend got to her feet. “While you two figure it out, I’m going to lay Yang down for her nap.”

The moment she was up the stairs, his boyfriend eyed the box. “We could just break into it.”

“No!” Tai bumped their hips together, both of them chuckling. “Come on man, we can do this. Riddles are all about personifying something with characteristics it doesn’t normally have. I doubt Summer hid these the keys very far either, so they’ve got to be somewhere around here.”

“You know where mine is, don’t you?”

He smiled guiltily. “I have a few guesses. But I know you’re smart enough to figure it out. Just think about it – what in the house sees the sun and moon set?”

He watched as the other man pivoted slowly on his heels, looking around for anything to jog the answer. When he got three-quarters around, the door caught his attention – or more specifically, the glass in the center of it. ”A window.” Three seconds later, his eyes widened. “Our bedroom window.”

Gods, he was cute when he was excited. “Yeah, that was my first thought.”

Tai followed him up the stairs and down the hall to their room, watching Qrow quickly flock to the window on one side of the room. Finding nothing there, he hurried to the other side.

Nothing.

“It’s not here.” Qrow grumbled, tapping his foot. “Read it to me again.” After Tai had complied, he stood there, murmuring to himself. “The sun rises…” He looked to one window, “But the moon sets.” He looked to the opposite. “Whatever it is has to see both. But it’s at the top- Oh!” He whirled, yanking open the window in enthusiastic fervor before leaping right out in a flurry of feathers.

“Eureka, I think he’s got it.” Tai grinned as the little crow went flying up towards the roof. A few moments later, he was returning, a metal key held triumphantly in his beak. Tai rose his arm, allowing the bird to land on his gauntlet. “Good job.” He reached up to pet him on the head, a gesture that Qrow would never, ever admit he liked but also never complained he got. “Alright, let’s find the other one.”

Returning downstairs, one prize in hand, they found Summer was back on the couch.

Qrow showed off the key to her. “Your little nest up there was a nice touch.”

She giggled. “I thought you’d like it.” She looked to him. “Figure out the other one yet?”

“Not quite.” Tai read his over once more.

_My life is a world of color._

_Brown, green, yellow, brown again._

_Where am I?_

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Has to be something with all these colors.”

“You don’t say?” Summer quipped unhelpfully.

“Careful, your Atlesian snob is showing.” She stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck his right back.

Qrow laid his arm on his shoulder, leaning in. “I don’t get yours at all. Why are the colors repeating?”

“Huh?”

“Well it says ‘again’. That means it’s repeating, right?”

Repeating? He looked at the riddle one more time.

No.

They were _cycling_. Cycling through life. And there was only one thing in the house that did that.

He pointed the letter at Summer, “That was clever.” Before gently pushing Qrow off of him so he could head outside.

As he searched through his garden, he heard the faintest shout of ‘Oh, the flowers!’ from his boyfriend that made him chuckle. It didn’t take him long to find the key, placed delicately on one corner of the wooden frame. He picked it up before going back inside.

He clinked his together with Qrow’s like celebratory wine glasses. “We are officially key buddies.”

Summer stood, patting the top of the box. “Alright, time for the prize. You guys ready?”

Oh right! He’d been so caught up solving the riddles, he hadn’t even thought of what could possibly be inside and it was so left-field for Summer to do something like this that it was hard to imagine what she’d feel was worth so much effort. As he and Qrow turned their key in the locks and opened it, _nothing_ he had in mind even came close.

It in itself wasn’t anything outstandingly special – just a simple piece of white paper with a single question on it. But the question itself was enormous.

_Will you two marry me?_

Qrow was the first to react. “Summer, you really want this?”

She was a ball of nervousness, biting her lip and holding fistfuls of her skirt. All she could do was nod.

The shock faded to joy, and then the other man was leaping up, pulling her into his arms. “Yeah! Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.” The relief on her face was almost instant.

Watching them hug and laugh, Tai almost felt like an outsider. He wanted to share in it but, he couldn’t. There was a huge problem with all of this.

“Tai? Are you okay?” Summer’s voice was small, drawing his eyes to her. The two had stopped celebrating when they realized he was still standing there, shell-shocked. “If, if you want to say no-”

His chest clenched. No, no, that wasn’t it! He couldn’t let her think that. He said in a rush, “Summer, I’d marry you in a heartbeat. That’s, not the problem.”

“Then what is?” Qrow asked. “If it’s ‘cause you and Rae still legally are, we can-”

“That’s not it either. We divorced.” He cut in, his stomach fluttering as the butterflies invaded.

If they didn’t get it, there was only one thing to do.

With the table between them, Tai just decided to use it, standing on it, only to get down on one knee. He took one of Qrow’s hands in his, meeting his eyes. “ _I_ can’t say yes to Summer, until _you_ say yes to me.”

The look that crossed his face was one of surprise, then it dissolved into laughter. “ _That’s_ all you need? By the Gods Tai! You were scaring me!” The laughter faded to something more sincere as his hand clung to his and Qrow lent down until their foreheads almost brushed. “Yes. Absolutely yes.”

Tai was so happy, he kissed him.

And then, when they pulled apart, he kissed Summer next.

Then Qrow kissed her.

“Boys, there’s something else.” She was giggling, grinning, an arm around each of their necks, tears of joy beaded in the corners of her eyes. “The box has a false bottom. There’s something else in there you both really need to see.”

“What is it, our engagement rings?” Qrow said as he pulled away, and though he was joking, it was probably the right guess.

Tai slipped off the table. They found the nick in the wood, and used one of the keys to pull out the wooden board.

Underneath was just another slip of paper with two single, life-changing words written on it.

_We’re pregnant._

* * *

“That’s how she told you?!” Ruby nearly shrieked her delight.

Qrow ruffled her hair. “Yep. That’s how we found out about you kiddo.”

“It’s a moment I’ll never forget.” Dad beamed. “We were so busy those days, planning for you and the wedding.”

“June 21st, right?” Yang asked. Her expression was strange, like she wasn’t quite understanding something.

“Yep, the-”

“First day of summer. We know dad.” Ruby finished before he could. He was always so ridiculously proud of that fact.

But his mirth, if possible, was even more uncontainable than usual. “ _And_ it’s when the last of the newborn crows are learning to fly. You know, the ones born in May.”

She stared. “Dad… _why?_ ” Surely there were laws against being that cheesy, right?

Her uncle, whose birthday truly was in May, groaned. “I’m convinced it’s because he wanted to pester me with it for the rest of my life.”

“It’s a great bonus.” He winked, ducking under the empty Styrofoam cup that was tossed at him. “Don’t litter!”

“I was throwing it at the trash.” Was his argument.

“Oh har de har.”

In the lull that followed as her dad stood to properly dispose of the cup, Ruby glanced at the clock. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw it was only five minutes later from the last time she checked. What? That was impossible!

“That doesn’t make sense.”

At first, Ruby thought her sister had noticed the clock as well, but her frown was directed at their uncle.

“What doesn’t?” He asked.

“Dad’s birthday is in August.”

“Uh, yeah? ‘Fraid I ain’t following.”

Yang’s eyes narrowed. “Did you marry dad before you were in love with him?”

What? What was she talking about? Ruby had to backpedal through the conversation to catch up, until she recalled what her uncle had said about the rainstorm after the picnic. That would have happened an entire two months after the wedding.

“Uh, well.” Uncle Qrow rubbed the back of his head, looking a little sheepish.

Dad’s chair scrapped as he plopped back down into it. “Dragon, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but your uncle is not the brightest crayon in the box.”

“I think you earn that spot buddy, considering you still married me.”

“You used illegal wooing!”

* * *

Nights in Patch were quiet this early into spring, where the island had not yet fully come to life after winter’s sleep. That’s why Qrow could easily hear him coming well before he reached the spot where he was hidden at the bottom of the porch steps.

“You’re drinking?” Tai asked.

“Got something to celebrate, right?” He lifted an unopened bottle from the six pack on the ground, offering it towards him. “Join me?”

His _fiancé_ – that was going to take some getting used to – hesitated, before coming down the steps to sit beside him, taking the proffered drink and twisting off the cap. “Cheers.”

They clinked the bottles together, taking a long, generous gulp. Qrow sighed, propping himself up by his elbows on one of the steps behind him. “Where’s Sums?”

Tai settled back against the railing so he could look at him, letting the bottle dangle from his fingers. “Turned in for the night. Guess now we know why she’s been so tired lately.”

“And cranky.” He joked, taking another sip. He set the bottle down beside him. “Been thinking. Since she’s gonna be calling up Oz to sideline herself, maybe I should ask him if he’ll increase my field time instead. Keep our income steady.”

“And keep yourself away.” Tai remarked bluntly.

He did his best not to flinch. Should have expected he’d see right through him. “It’s safer that way.”

“And what excuses will you make when the baby’s here?”

“Stop.”

“Qrow-”

“Drop it.” He ordered, giving him a sharp look. “Stuff like that is easy for you to say. You don’t know what it’s like, living life with only loaded dice to play with.”

Tai frowned. “Is that why you said yes? Am I just another gamble?”

The abrupt change in topic threw him off balance, irritation washed away by confusion. “What are you talking about?”

He sighed, looking out towards the field. “I know you’ve never been good at expressing certain emotions. So when you said yes to marrying me, it made me really happy. Because I thought maybe that was _your_ way of telling me you loved me. But…” The small smile that had formed fell quickly. “It wasn’t, was it?”

“Of course not.” From the way Tai’s face immediately twisted with hurt, Qrow realized that had not been the right thing to say. “That’s not, I mean – shit! Let me explain.” He sat up, very aware of the eyes following him. He ran a hand over the back of his neck, hoping this was going to make some semblance of sense. “Okay so, people get together and fall in love all the time, right? There’s not really anything more required than that – so what’s a marriage for?”

“Uh, to commit yourself to that person?”

“Exactly! I,” He faltered, the words trying to get stuck in his throat. But for all he couldn’t tell Tai, he _had_ to say this. “My entire life, I’ve spent feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere. Even the tribe, a bunch of lowlifes, didn’t want me. That’s why I ended up at Beacon. It was their way of kicking me out.”

He looked towards the sky and its broken moon. From his bed in the dorm, he always sought that sight before going to sleep. Seeing it through their window, he used to imagine the wooden stripes dividing the glass into squares were the bars of a jail cell. Because that was what the school had felt like: somewhere he’d been locked away, so he couldn’t return home.

But over time, without him noticing, that feeling slowly changed. It wasn’t until they left the window open one hot night, and the sky was open and free, that Qrow felt likewise.

“For the longest time, I was convinced Beacon would be just the same. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But it never did.” He looked to the other man. “You and Summer accepted me in a way no one else has. I look at you two and I see home.” He reached out, laying his hand over Tai’s. “I guess what I’m saying is, I may not be ready to say I love you yet, but I am ready to say that I’ll be by your side forever.”

Tai’s eyes widened. Then they started to glisten.

“A-Are you crying?”

“No!” He hastily wiped away the evidence, sniffling. “Just meant a lot to hear something like that.”

Qrow snickered softly. What a hopeless romantic. “If that’s not enough though, I understand. We can wait. All of this is really fast for you and, erm-” The feeling of Tai’s fingers slipping into his own cut him off.

“After a declaration like that, how could I ever want to wait?”

* * *

“Looking back on it, we really should have. It could have gone wrong in about a hundred thousand different ways.” Dad reflected. “But we were 23 and stupid.”

“Hey, I’m 43 and still stupid.” Qrow joked as he got to his feet.

“You’re 45 Qrow.”

“See? Proved my own point.” He threw back over his shoulder, heading for the various drink machines set on the counter.

Ruby bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. As they waited for him to get back, she sipped at her tea and thought of something else to ask. The wedding seemed like an obvious one, but she already knew the details on that one – or well, she knew them as long as she added her uncle to it.

Dad had told her long ago that it had been a simple backyard affair, with as many of dad and mom’s sides of the family invited as they could find as well as any classmates from Beacon that hadn’t yet moved away from the area and some local friends from Patch. They had said their vows underneath the tallest Maple tree in the yard. Then dad, mom – and Qrow – climbed up into tree and placed a nest within its branches, a symbolic sign of the new life to come to their home and their promise to care for her until she was ready to fly.

That part was always her favorite. Now with all this new perspective, she finally understood why they’d specifically made it a nest and whose idea it was in the first place.

“Thinking hard about something kiddo?” Qrow asked, taking a seat.

“Just not sure what to ask next.” She deflected, knowing if she told him her true train of thought, he probably would be too embarrassed to be completely honest.

“Well, I got tons of little tales about what a terror your mom was when she was pregnant with you.”

Dad waved him down. “Oh come off it. She wasn’t _that_ bad.”

He slammed his cup down, some of the coffee spilling over. “She made me fly out at 2am to find watermelon. Watermelon!”

“That doesn’t sound that bad?” Yang said, tossing some napkins his way.

He ignored them in favor of staring her down. “It. Was. Hailing.”

Dad snorted behind his hand, shaking his head. He leaned her way, voice low, “He’s just being dramatic Ruby. She really was a sweetheart.”

“Hey, hey! I heard that! _You_ had experience, so your opinion does not count!”

“I reject that, considering I was the one who was with Summer most of the time.” He grinned. “Though, you still got stuck rushing her to the hospital. Lucky you.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Qrow buried his head in his hands.

“How that’d work out?” Her sister inquired, looking as amused as Ruby felt. She wondered if she was envisioning the same level of chaos she was (Okay, maybe imagining the car catching on fire was a little too over the top).

“Sums went into early labor. Ruby wasn’t actually due to be born until December 16th, but she never did like to wait.” Dad threw her a teasing look. “Qrow freaked out, majorly, and I was miles away on a field trip.”

* * *

“You have to come home, now!” Qrow was practically shouting through the phone.

Tai could hear him rushing around the house, throwing things together. “I can’t just leave 30 kids in the middle of a forest Qrow.”

“Forget them! We’re having a crisis here!”

He tried to exercise his best calming voice. “Qrow, calm _down_. It’s going to be fine. This might even be a false alarm.”

“F-False alarm?! Those happen!?”

“ _Yes._ ” He stressed. “And even if the baby is born now, we’re far enough along at this point they’ll be fine.”

It seemed to work – for three seconds. “But you’re supposed to be here. You’re supposed to go into the room with her and I’m supposed to watch Yang. What am I even going to do with Yang? I-”

Before the tangent could go on, there was a faint “Qrow give me the phone.” And then suddenly Summer’s voice was in his ear, strained and out of breath. “Sorry, he’s losing his mind.”

“I can tell.” Tai replied drily, though he quickly shifted to something more sincere. “How you holding up sweetheart?”

“Just feeling like I’m about to have a baby, so never better.” Was the sarcastic quip. “But, don’t worry too much. I’ll get things handled if this numbskull can’t pull it together.”

He smiled, though he could feel his own anxiety pulling at his heart now. He wished he was there. He was _supposed_ to be there. “We’ll start heading back now and I’ll be there in a few hours. Are you sure you don’t want me to call some of the neighbors at least?”

In the background, he heard a violent curse from Qrow. A sharp gasp from Summer, and then after a long moment, she said, “Uh, actually, I think we’ve got it now.”

* * *

Dad abruptly trailed off. He seemed to look around the room, as if the rest of the story would be scripted out on the walls around him, before his gaze finally rested on Qrow. “Can you-?”

He just lifted up his hands pacifyingly, saying softly, “I’ll tell it but, it’s your call man.”

Ruby shared a look with Yang, neither of them masking how confused they were.

Dad heaved a long, low sigh. “It’s fine.”

“Alright.” Qrow nodded, turning to them. “So, as your dad so eloquently put it, I was maybe a little… distressed.”

* * *

This couldn’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening! Qrow was cursing his luck as he yanked open the closet door under the stairs, trying to find a luggage bag for all the stuff they needed to bring. His heart was pounding in his ears. Six weeks early; six whole weeks. Tai said it’d be fine but, if his semblance did this, was it really? What if their organs weren’t properly developed? What if they’re born with a defect? He should have stayed away more. How could he be so stupid!

He hurried back to the coffee table. Summer was on the couch, a hand on her stomach and talking to Tai, calm despite the situation. He started shoving all the items he’d dragged from various parts of the house into the bag. Clothes for his wife and the child, various other baby things like a blanket and hat. His hands were shaking. What else should he bring?

“Don’t forget this.”

That voice, painfully familiar, had his lungs freezing up. He whirled around.

And there Raven was, coming down the stairs with Yang in her arms. His niece had been down for her nap and was blinking blearily, not completely aware that a stranger was holding her.

So in shock by what he was seeing, he spat out the words almost unconsciously, “What the fuck!”

“What language little brother. There’s a child in the room.” Her eyes flicked from him to Summer, snidely adding, “Children, almost.”

Qrow looked back at his wife, panicked for a whole new reason as he motioned for her to get off the phone. They didn’t need Tai picking up on Raven’s voice – not with him halfway across the island and no way to get to his daughter.

Summer grasped onto the cue, saying quickly, “Look we’ve gotta head to the hospital now. I’ll update you more once I’m admitted, okay? Love you!”

He turned back to his sister as she stopped right in front of him, numbly accepting his niece when she was shoved into his arms. “What are you doing here?”

She arched an eyebrow. “You were having such a fit that it was impossible to ignore. And if I watched this clown show any longer without intervening, I was afraid I was going to lose some brain cells.”

His first instinct was to say no. The rejection wouldn’t quite leave his mouth and he was just left with his jaw hanging open.

Ignoring him, Raven crossed over to where Summer was, settling on the couch beside her. “How you holding up?”

“Mentally or physically? Because both are kind of bad right now.” She said, doubling over a bit and groaning.

“Don’t worry, it gets a lot worse.”

“Not. Helping.”

Raven smiled. It looked so alien on her Qrow almost thought he imagined it. Then she ran a hand along her back, soothing the way she used to be back when things were good. “Come on, unless you want to have this thing right in the living room, we got to get you up.”

“I know.” Summer took a few deep breathes as she waited for the contraction to pass. Once it had, she looked to the woman beside her. “Give me a hand?”

“Of course.”

* * *

Ruby stared at the tea ring at the bottom of her cup, unable to believe what she was hearing. Raven had really done that? Now she almost felt bad for what she said before.

“So, she was there?” Yang’s voice was weak, conflicted.

Uncle Qrow sighed. “Yeah. She was.”

“But, _why?_ ”

“Even after all this time, I’m still not really sure.”

Dad spoke up. “The only thing I could figure was that since we all hadn’t been apart that long, she still cared enough to come when we really needed her. Or that because we’d all been there for her when she’d been through childbirth herself, she felt obligated to do the same for Summer.” He shrugged. “Told you she was complicated.”

“What um,” Ruby tapped her fingers against the Styrofoam. “What happened when you finally got to the hospital?”

“The nurses almost had to admit me for an aneurysm.” If it was meant to be a joke, he didn’t deliver it with a punch of humor. “Honestly, I’m glad Qrow was the one out with Yang at the time when I got there so he could give me the heads up.”

“At the time?”

“I couldn’t handle being in the room for long periods of time but I also wanted to be there for Summer.” Qrow explained. “So, Raven and I switched off.”

“I had been pretty pissed later on when I found that out.” Dad huffed.

“Only reason I did it was ‘cause Summer just pulled Raven down at one point and said ‘You even think of running off with Yang, and I swear I will burn all of Remnant to get her back’.” He chuckled. “Could have been the meds talking though.”

Ruby didn’t miss the small but warm smile on her sister’s face. It made her smile too.

“Anyways, with everything that was happening, there really wasn’t time to deal with it.” Dad continued. “I knew I could trust Qrow with Yang. So, I was with Summer the rest of the way. I didn’t leave her side, not once.” He ran a hand over his face, looking tired just remembering it. “She was in labor for fifteen grueling hours. But finally, you came.”

* * *

Tai trudged down the hallway, stiff and tired but unable to stop smiling. He picked out his husband and ex-wife immediately when he entered the waiting room. Raven seemed to have dozed off, Yang sprawled along her chest. Qrow was wide awake though, bent over, hands clasped like a prayer and foot tapping a nervous rhythm on the tile floor.

When he noticed him though, he almost tipped his chair over in his hurry to get up and rush over. “Well?” He asked, practically holding his breath.

Tai’s grin became even wider. “We’ve got a girl.”

“A girl.” Qrow repeated with reverence, and joy rose to his face like the sun to morning. He was laughing, unabashed as he threw his arms around him in a tight embrace. “We’ve got a little girl!”

He returned the hug, kissing his temple tenderly. “She’s a bit small but we expected that. 5 pounds, 3 ounces. 17.1 inches. But,” He cupped the other man’s chin in his hand, wiping away the budding tear in the corner of his eye. “She’s perfectly healthy.”

He laughed again, warring against more tears. “Thank the Brothers.”

Tai rubbed his cheekbone, saying softly, “They’re still cleaning up right now, but Summer’s asking for you.”

“Yeah, okay.” He gripped the back of his shirt, nose nuzzling his ear as he whispered “You gonna be okay out here?”

“I got it.” He whispered back, squeezing him just a little tighter. “Go on already.”

Qrow kissed him softly, murmuring against his lips, “Love you” before he pulled away and started down the hall, a spring to his step he’d never seen before. Tai heard his fading but excited ‘A girl!’ as he disappeared amidst the hospital staff. It pulled one last, fond smile from him, before he took a deep breath, turned around and met blood red eyes.

Immediately, he wished he’d asked his husband to stay. Then subsequently felt guilty for it. No need to ruin Qrow and Summer’s moment. He was an adult. He could handle his ex-wife on his own.

He walked over, feeling stiffer than before and sat in the chair Qrow had vacated.

“Congrats.” She offered almost flippantly, like talking to him was as nonconsequential as sharing the weather report with a stranger in a store. Why did it matter so little to her when to him it was like everything around him needed to stop just to handle it?

“Thanks.” He replied, swallowing against a suddenly dry mouth. “And thank you. For helping out. You didn’t need to do that.” She made a noncommittal hum. He looked between her and Yang, uncomfortable with how wrong the whole picture looked, and held out his hands. “I can take her now.”

Raven placed a hand along Yang’s back. “She’s fine.”

Tai fought the urge to rip her from her arms. She was, technically, her daughter – what right did he have to say she couldn’t hold her? He let his hands drop. “Okay.”

“She’s going to have my wild hair, I can already tell.” She twirled a finger around one of their daughter’s blonde curls, side-eyeing him. “What about this new brat of yours? What color are her eyes?”

He grit out, “Blue, like all babies.”

“But that’s not at all what I meant, and you know it.” She bit right back.

He could feel the beginning thump of an angry headache. “Don’t treat me like an idiot. We know she can have silver eyes.”

“Yet you didn’t consider the ramifications?” She twisted towards him. “Do you think anyone would hesitate to kill two children instead of one just to get the job done?”

“You don’t get a say in what I do with my life anymore Raven!”

“But I do get a say in hers!”

“You **_don’t!_** You gave up that right!” They were practically right in each other’s faces, snarling away like dogs.

The beginning wail from Yang pulled them back though, both of them looking down at her. On instinct, Tai reached for her, but Raven was quicker, shushing and rocking her with a gentleness he never even knew she was capable of.

Yet, it was the practiced ease of it that peaked his fury anew. “How many times have you broken into her room?”

Her smirk hid nothing. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Something sick twisted up inside him. After spending the first few months of Yang’s life barely able to sleep out of fear that Raven would come back and make good on her promise to take her away, after the countless conversations and reassurances Summer or Qrow had to give him just to ease the anxiety, after all that, to find out now she’d invaded his home anyways was like a punch to the gut. He shook, the barrel of emotions thrashing inside of him leaving him off-balance.

“Give me my daughter. **Now.** ” Tai commanded, so unsure of himself at the moment he wasn’t sure what he’d do if she refused.

But she didn’t. There was no hesitation in the way she dropped the blubbering infant into his hands, just as she had done nineteen months ago. No regret as she got to her feet and looked down at him with disdain and disgust. “I was merely making a point. If it’s been this easy for me, how easy is it going to be for _her_?” She turned her back to him. “A fool like you should know that even if she strikes the killing blow, it’s you who first started digging their graves.”

Though the rebuttal was on the tip of his tongue, he let her walk away. He’d learned long ago and much too late there was no winning with her.

Instead, he looked down at his fussing daughter, rocking her gently and kissing her forehead. “It’s okay little dragon. Daddy’s here.”

He’d prove Raven wrong. Yang and her little sister were both going to live long, happy lives. He’d make sure of it.

* * *

The cup in her hand fell apart as Ruby crushed it. She took it back. She didn’t feel bad about what she said at all.

The action didn’t go unnoticed.

“Gee kiddo, tell us how you really feel.” Her uncle’s jab was meant to be teasing, but she only felt ashamed.

“I, uh,” She pushed her mess to the side to ignore it. That went double for the knowing look her dad was sending her.

Luckily, Yang spoke up before she had to explain herself, “So, what? She cared about me back then?”

“Honest opinion?” Uncle Qrow replied, “In her own, messed up way, she’s always cared about you. She just… cared about herself more.”

“So then _why_ did you want her back so bad?” Ruby demanded.

“Ruby-”

She cut her dad off before he could try to stop her. “No! I mean it! She’s awful. She’s always been awful! And she doesn’t deserve to be part of our family!”

There, she said it! She finally said the one thing she thought since she first understood who Raven was!

Oh Gods, she said it. She couldn’t look her uncle or sister in the eye.

“I-I, I mean,”

“No, you’re right.” The strength in Yang’s voice when she said that was an odd comfort. “She’s had my whole life to try and bother to be an actual mom and where is she now? Not here.” She huffed, before glancing at dad. “I’m sorry for all the times I gave you a hard time about it. I used to think that you were just trying to hide her from me, but I get now that you just wanted to look out for me.”

Qrow rubbed the back of his neck. “Er, I’m sorry too. For uh, well. You know.”

Dad shook his head. “If you both need to apologize then I do too. I could have been more forthcoming, more understanding. Sometimes, I just let my fears get the better of me. I loved Raven once, I really did. But when we divorced and I could look back on it with a new perspective, I realized I never wanted her back in my life.”

“I had just been so certain she’d change, you know?” Her uncle claimed. “Remember when we first met? How much of a bastard I was? I was convinced I changed for the better because of you and Summer. That’s why I thought firecracker here could make all the difference for Raven. I pushed for it so hard, thinking she just needed the right person in her life. Turned out, the real problem was I just wasn’t giving myself enough credit for my own effort. I wanted to change. She never has.”

Smiling, dad reached out, placing a hand on his wrist. “Well, I’m glad you did. Raven may have been one of the worst parts of my life, but you’ve always been one of my best.”

He turned red, spluttering in embarrassment. “Yo-You’re such a sap!”

Ruby felt content, hearing her family speak so openly and calmly. It was as if a chapter of their lives had finally closed. She still remembered the long evenings where the very utterance of Raven’s name made the house a minefield. But things had changed enough even she was comfortable to say, “I really hated it when anyone brought her up. It felt like talking about her did nothing but make everyone argue. So I thought, if this is what she can do without her even being here, how bad would it get if she was? I was afraid if she actually came home, that she’d tear us apart.”

“You never told me you felt like that.” Yang frowned.

“She was your mom, not mine. I didn’t want to be a jerk and tell you I hated her, when it was so important to you.” She explained. “I thought I was being a good sister.”

“You’re a _great_ sister.”

Ruby opened her mouth, about to respond.

Then the door opened. “Rose?” The attendant called.

Her smile turned nervous. “Even if I’m not actually your sister?”

Yang just grinned. “Even then.”

She clasped her shaking hands together, took a deep breath, and got to her feet.

It was time.

* * *

She couldn’t do this. She just couldn’t!

She paced to and fro in the little garden area outside of the medical office, the manila folder in her hand crinkling as she held it too tightly. Inside of it was nothing but a sheet of paper with the results of the paternity test – but she couldn’t convince herself to open it. What if this really DID change everything? She could never take this moment back.

“Ruby, we don’t have to do this here.” Dad was sitting on the brick housing of a large planter with Qrow and Yang. Little white daisies poked out between them.

“No!” She exclaimed. “If I don’t do this now then I might put it off forever.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing kiddo.” Her uncle said as he lent back on his hands. He looked down when he accidentally crushed some of the flowers under his palm.

“Hey, where was that advice when I wanted to stay up past 10?” Her sister joked.

“But I did let you stay up past 10.” Qrow faltered when dad gave him his patented Stare of Doom. He lifted up his fist, where the little daisies he’d flattened were drooping sadly. “Forgive me?”

“Pffft.” It was a good thing that Dad cracked easily. 

Normally, she would have laughed too. But she was too anxious to find anything funny. This was ridiculous, wasn’t it? She was being dumb. She had magic eyes for maiden’s sake! What was a potential shift in parentage compared to that? Nothing, that’s what!

She grabbed on the edge of the folder.

Kept holding.

And holding.

And – She groaned, smacking herself in the face with it. “Why is this so hard!”

“Anything we can do to make it easier?” Yang offered.

Ruby thought it over, before shoving the folder in her hands. “You read it first!”

“What? Are you sure?”

She nodded frantically. Maybe if she saw her not react badly to it, it would calm her down.

“Okay.” Yang lifted the folder up, flipped it open. At first, her expression was only pensive as she read it over, before one eyebrow ever so slightly rose. Then she nodded. “Yeah that’s about what I expected.”

She waved her arms. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re an alien ‘cause your head’s always in outer space sis.” Yang closed it and held it back out to her.

Ruby huffed irritably as she snatched it back. That hadn’t helped at all!

She paced left.

Then right.

Left again.

Stopped in front of her dad and uncle. “You two read it next.”

Dad took it without complaint. “Alright sweetheart.” He glanced at the man next to him. “You ready?”

Qrow looked decidedly more agitated, his heel starting to tap on the ground, his fingers drumming along. Still, he shifted close enough their shoulders were touching and announced, “Ready.”

He opened it, both of them looking down at the words written there. After a few seconds, dad started to smile.

Ruby’s heart jumped. So then he _had_ to be-

But no, her uncle started to smile too. Was it actually-?!

Dad looked to Qrow, asking, “Okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

In despair, Ruby fell to her knees. “That didn’t tell me anything!”

Dad closed it, handing it back to her. “We can’t do this part for you Ruby.”

“You’ll feel better once you read it. Trust me.” Her uncle assured. He did look a lot calmer.

She got back to her feet, gazing down at the folder, flicking the corner of it. She asked, mostly to continue to stall, “If mom were here, how would she have reacted?”

They both hummed in thought, but it was dad who spoke first, “There was a joke she had. See, even though we didn’t get the test done, Qrow and I thought eventually we’d just figure it out, once you started taking after one of us. It was obvious you had your mom’s hair, so we hoped maybe you’d get our eye color. Of course, you didn’t. So then we had to start debating the small things like whose nose you had or ears. But, we both knew you were pretty much your mother’s double.”

“She definitely has my scythe wielding skills though.” Uncle Qrow said.

“That’s not a genetic trait.”

“But being awesome is.”

Dad elbowed him in the ribs. “Anyways, whenever your mom overhead us getting into one of these debates she’d cut in and say that our arguments were pointless, since it was obvious that she was both your mom and your dad.” He chuckled. “I bet you that’s what she would have said once she read it.”

“Nah. She would only pretend to read it. Just would have opened it up, not even looked, said something like ‘Of course it’s me!’ and then given it back to you before Tai or I could see.” Qrow pitched in.

“Oh yeah that sounds about right.” Dad agreed. “As far as how she’d feel about the actual results; well, I don’t think it would matter to her either way. To her, it was never the blood relation but the dedication and love you put into being a parent. That’s what she’d say, when she talked about what kind of mom she wanted to be for you two.”

Ruby glanced towards her sister, seeing the surprise and happiness on Yang’s face.

And it was that simple expression that finally made her realize how utterly silly she was being. Because if her sister, after agonizing for years over her biological mother’s neglect, could still find such joy knowing her step-mom cared that much – then, what did Ruby have to worry about, when both Qrow and Tai had been there for her all along?

As self-assurance filled her for the first time that day, she announced, “I’m ready to look.”

“Go for it, kiddo.” Qrow encouraged.

She didn’t second guess herself. She opened the folder and looked down at the sheet of paper, scanning over it. There was a small section at the top with all three of their names listed and the purpose of the visit laid out like an essay paper’s thesis. But what drew her attention was the part half way down, titled: **Results**.

_From the DNA samples provided, it has been concluded the biological father of **Ruby Rose** is_

Her eyes widened.

She looked up, straight at him.

He smiled back at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the ending being ambiguous is on purpose. Originally, I had it written out - but after talking it out with a friend, I decided that wasn't the purpose of the story, as the title suggests. So it's your choice who it is (but I am curios to know who you chose and why).
> 
> One other small note: The white daisies at the end are meant to represent Summer, as they tend to be a symbol of motherhood - as well as 'a new beginning'.
> 
> Finally, thank you to everyone who decided to stick it out on this journey with me! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have!


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